TRAVEL DIARIES: 48 hours in Big Sur

And when the fog’s over
and the stars
and the moon come out at night
it’ll be a beautiful sight.

-Big Sur, Jack Kerouac

I truly had a beautiful sight along my drive at Big Sur. The dictionary describes Big Sur as “a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean.”

So I travelled with a rental car from Los Angeles to visit this wildly beautiful coastline which stretches along the Pacific at Highway 1. I drove north to south, so I stayed the day before in Carmel Valley, which is known for fine dining, wine tasting, antique shops and art galleries.
I really can recommend the Earthbound Farm Stand, which is a healthier alternative to other spots in the area. The farm stand is in a great stetting with charming gardens and a little shop for organic products. After a tasty melon-mint frozen yogurt, I felt pampered and ready for Big Sur!

When I woke up in the early morning, I looked outside the window and got surprised by a grey and cloudy sky. I knew I had only this day to travel south along Big Sur and I felt a bit disappointed. I took my time to have a long breakfast (hoping that the clouds might be gone after a while). Suddenly the sun showed its face from time to time.

The next 3-4 hours I got overwhelmed by the beauty of Big Sur. White beaches surrounded by fields of wildflowers, a scenic coastal road, hidden caves and waterfalls and spectacular views. I just loved this! Each minute of this drive is so worth it, because I got surprised on every curve of the street. I let the photos speak for itself:

Of course, Big Sur was crazy crowded by tourists, but for a reason. Just next to the streets are some hiking trails which made me forget the crowds really fast. Springtime is the perfect time of the year to visit this place. The wildflower fields made everything even more picturesque.

I have visited a lot of places in California, but Big Sur definitely felt like a big win. Maybe it’s the fact that I travelled that part on my own and I soaked in every moment with a feeling of gratitude. Or maybe, I personally felt myself at ease in this section of the travel: The sea, the coast, the beaches – sometimes you appreciate things even more, when you won’t have them for a while again.

Now, I’m back in Canada, back in the known woods, surrounded by mosquitos, bears and hummingbirds… Well this is another story to tell.. 😉